The Following video is based on research done by Giant Panda King,
as well as their book Gotham 1919-1939, available at www.giantpandaking.com.
Viewer discretion is advised.
One of the most deadly, despicable, and horrifying figures from the Gotham 1919-1939
book and video series is the Joker. His physical appearance is unsettling, and with good reason.
I figured for this deep dive series, it couldn’t hurt to start with a very well-known character.
We’re basing this video off of research done by Giant Panda King and some of our own research on
these actual historical figures. Some of you may have seen the Instagram post they did on Joker.
We’re going to go over some of these points. One of the real historical figures that this
1920s version of Joker is inspired by is Salvador Dalí. Dalí was an artist from Catalonia, Spain
and received his education in Madrid. He was influenced by Impressionism and Renaissance
era art, but joined a Surrealist group in 1929. Surrealism is an art style that showcases scenes
that often don’t make immediate sense to the viewer, and we’re often unsettling. It was meant
to allow an artist to put their subconscious on a canvas. In 1931, Dalí released his work,
The Persistence of Memory. This piece was a perfect example of Surrealism.
Dalí didn’t just focus on painting, he was also involved in graphic arts, film, sculpture, design,
and photography. His works focused a lot on spirituality, sexuality, personal relationships
and experiences, and science-related topics. Dalí was eventually at odds with the Surrealist group,
as his personal and political views conflicted with their requirements.
Dalí had been - throughout various stages of life - self identified as a Communist, anti-monarchist,
anti-clerical, and possibly pro-fascist supporter. It was officially his open support for Catholicism
and the fascist Falange party that got him expelled. He moved back to Catalonia where
he spoke rather vocally of his support for the fascism of the leaders at the time. Dalí is
quoted during this time as saying: “Personally, I am against freedom; I’m for the Holy Inquisition.”
As evidenced by this quote and by his behavior throughout his life, Dalí was a very eccentric
and ostentatious person. He once knocked over a movie project at a film premiere, claiming
that the film’s creator had stolen his idea, even though he had never told anyone about it. During a
project where he was working on a window piece, he became enraged by unauthorized changes being
made to his work. He pushed a display bathtub out the window in a rage. He delivered a lecture at
the Sarbonne in 1955, arriving in a Rolls-Royce full of cauliflower. It’s easy to see what some
of the parallels are between the Joker in Gotham 1919-1939 and Salvador Dalí. Joker’s eccentricity
and personal beliefs shine through almost as prominently, though with a more deadly spin to it.
John Dillinger is the next historical figure that inspired this version of the Joker.
Originally from Indiana, Dillinger was a gangster in America during the Great Depression.
He led a gang named after him - the Dillinger Gang - that was responsible for roughly 24 banks
and 4 police stations. He was imprisoned several times and escaped twice.
While he was only ever charged with one homicide, it is suspected he was responsible
for countless others. The 1920s Joker similarly was only known to have committed four murders,
but countless more were suspected. With that, and the other facts, you can already start to
see the parallels between Dillinger and the Joker. Dillinger’s infamy grew as his criminal
career did. Dillinger managed to escape once from Lake County Jail in Crown Point, Indiana.
He and his gang had been apprehended in Tucson, Arizona, and extradited to Indiana. The police
boasted that Lake County Jail was escape-proof; extra guards were posted to further solidify this.
During morning exercises for the prisoners, Dillinger suddenly pulled a gun.
None of the guards were sure where he had gotten it, and he and fifteen other inmates escaped
without a shot being fired. Speculators later wondered if Dillinger’s gun had even been real.
This escape demonstrated his grim ingenuity, and also parallels Joker’s mad
genius. You can see the inspiration there as well. Dillinger was eventually shot and
killed in Chicago on July 22nd, 1934. The men who shot him were special agents of the FBI.
The Dada movement is another bit of history that inspired this version of the Joker.
Dadaism was an art style that disregarded the reason, logic, aesthetics, and capitalism of
society. It favored irrationality, nonsense, and stark aesthetics. It wasn’t just paintings,
it also incorporated cut-up writing, collage, sculpture, and many other art forms.
While its practitioners were non-violent, anti-war, and anti-nationalism, I could see
the chaotic nature of the art itself as being an inspiration to the Joker in Gotham 1919-1939.
It reminds me of the painting that turns up in the Batwoman show, painted by Jack
Napier - the Joker - himself. That chaos could very well embody his appearance and personality.
Another factor in his physical appearance is The Man Who Laughs. This German Expressionist film,
based on a play of the same name, features the story of Gwynplaine, the disfigured son
of an English lord in the 17th century. The story itself doesn’t pertain to the Joker all that much,
but Gwynplaine has an eerie grin that is permanently carved on his face.
This character is what - in part - inspired the Joker’s original design in the comics,
as well as the Gotham 1919-1939 version. The eerie grin especially is reflected here, as
well as the Joker’s fine purple suit; reflective of Gwynplaine’s fine attire due to his nobility.
These two things - Dada and The Man Who Laughs - are what inspire Joker’s aesthetic.
The other physical aspects of the Joker’s ghastly appearance - his teeth and elongated
face - are chalked up to conditions known as Acromegaly and recessive teeth,
according to Giant Panda King. Acromegaly is a condition that results in an
excess of the growth hormone. This can result in enlargement of the hands,
feet, forehead, jaw, nose, and other things. The recessive teeth, or recessive gums,
can be a result of various causes. What it boils down to is poor dental hygiene in the 1920s and
1930s. The gums will begin to recede, resulting in more of the roots of the teeth being exposed.
This can cause irritation and pain, and also results in the teeth appearing larger than
they usually would. This explains - to an extent - the Joker’s appearance in Gotham 1919-1939.
It makes one wonder about his origins in this universe, as they’re still undefined officially.
And that wraps up our summary of the real history that inspired the Joker in Gotham 1919-1939.
If you liked this episode, drop a like and let me know in the comments what other character
deep dives you’d like to see! I also want to give a very special thank you to our Patreon patrons,
channel members, and GoFundMe supporters for making this video,
and all our other ones, possible. If you want to help support the channel,
you can find those links in the description, or click the “join” button below.
As always, thanks for watching, and remember: the night is darkest just before the dawn,
and I promise you, the dawn is coming. Have a great day and see you in the next video!